It urges Cherokees and all of Indian Country to look to its roots for a healthier lifestyle since the diabetes diagnosis rate increased 68 percent for Native American teens aged 15-19 between 1994 and 2004.

“Hopefully we can be the solution to preventing Type II diabetes which runs at a high rate in our tribe by promoting eating more traditional foods and playing our traditional games,” said Studi, known for his movie roles in “Dances with Wolves,” and “The Last of the Mohicans.”And:The commercial features traditional Cherokee and other tribal stickball players in action on the field set in both past and modern time at the Cherokee Nation’s Male Seminary recreation facility which was bought by the tribe four years ago for citizens to workout.

Riding a horse in the wide-open plains, renowned Cherokee actor Wes Studi stares into the camera and delivers a message to Indian country: Through eating healthy, traditional foods and being physically active, Natives can prevent obesity and diabetes.

The video, which is available in 30-second and one-minute public service announcement formats and as an eight-minute clip entitled Our Cultures Are Our Source of Health, was created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Diabetes Translation, the Native Diabetes Wellness Program and the Traditional Foods Program’s tribal partners.